Game apparatus.



* M. SHARP.

GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE I3, 1916.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

Enron.

ivrAncus SHARP, or CAMDEN, vnw JERSEY;

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an, 16 1917,

Application filed June 13, 1916. Serial No. 103,555.

- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARCUS SHARP, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Camden, in the county of Camden and Stateof New Jersey, have invented certain 7 new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of, an improved form of game apparatus which maybe termed a war game.

One objectof my invention is to provide a game which may be played by two or more persons and in which a member, which is attached to the end of an elastic cord and to a post within a board, may be alternately used and stretched by opposing players, and when released operative to knock down soldiers or other articles which are positioned upon the board. 1

Another object is to render certain features and rules of the game of such nature as to please and hold the attention of the players of the game. A

A further object is to so construct my improved game apparatus that it will be durable and may be manufactured and sold at a comparatively low cost.

These objects, and other advantageous ends which. will be described hereinafter, I attain in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in whichv Figure 1 is a plan view of a game board made in accordance with my'invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line aa of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line b?) of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an, enlarged sectional view taken on the line we of Fig. 1 showing the board in a folded or closed position. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 0-0 of Fig. 1 showing a central post which I employ. Fig. 6 is a perspectiv view of a sighting member which I preferably use in connection with my improved game. Fig. 7 is an elevation showing one of a number of soldiers which form a part of my invent on, and Fig. 8 1s a '16 which re resent risons fragmentary elevation showing another way of attaching an elastic member which I employ. V

Referring to the drawing, the board 1 may be made of woodor=other1material,

and is made in two sections 2 and 3 which are joined together by hinges d. The board 1 is preferably made square, and the square is divided by diagonal lines 5, 6, 7, and 8, into four large triangles- 9, 10, Hand 12.

Each of the triangles 9 and-11 has a plurality of spots 13 and 14: respectively, and the portions of the triangles 10 and 12 which are adjacent the spots 13 and 14: re-

have triangular recesses 15 and and'to make these triangular portions more representative of prisons, the adjacent surface of the triangles 1.0 and 12 have painted or otherwise marked thereon,

spectively,

ing. However, it will be noted that any other design may be used or the design may be omittedif desired without in any way affecting the principle of the invention. An ornamentation of this nature tends to make the board more attractive and hold the interest of children or others who play thegame. e

The angles of the triangles 10 and 12 which are opposite to the recesses 15 and 16 are divided bylines 17 and 18 into two triangular sections 19 and 20. Each of these triangular sections 19 and 20 has mounted thereon by pivot nails 21, a number of members formed in the shape of battle ships 22 and 23, there being four battle ships in each of the triangular sections 19 and 20, the idea of these battle ships being to be free to rotate and spin on their pivots if hit by an element which will be described hereinafter. w 1

A series of four lines 24; extend radially from the center of the board, and each of these lines would, if extended into the triangular portions 19 and 20, include the axis of one of the pivots of the battle ships. These lines 24 may be painted or otherwise marked upon the board as may also a wall of Troy design as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawbe the other lines above referred to including the spots 13 and 14.

A post 25 is secured within recesses 26 and 27 formed by the sections 2 and 3 of the board so that when the latter are in their open position as shown in Fig. 1, they willprovide a hole for the admission of said post 25, however if it is desired, any means may be made to accommodate this post 25 when the board is in its open position as illustrated in Fig. 1.

The post 1 has an eye 28 at its upper end, to'which is attached one end of an elastic cord 29, the free end of which is provided with a member 30 forming a bullet designed when stretched and released to hit soldiers 31 which may be disposed on diiferent of the spots 13 and 14. This bullet may also be used to strike and spin the battle ships 22 and23.

The sighting? member shown'in Fig. 6 has a grooved block 32, and depending from opposite ends of this block at the lower surface thereof, is a handle 33 and a rest pin 34, the latter being olf set at 35, providing a shoulder 36, said shoulder being so designed as to rest upon the upper surface of the board 1 adjacent its edges, the OE- set portion acting .to rest against the vertical edges of the board, so that when the elastic cord 29 is stretched, it may be stretched within the grooved upper surface of the block 32, and said groove will act as a guide I for said bullet to direct the movement of said bullet toward any of the soldiers or boats.

Any number of soldiers may be used on the spots 13 and 14 according to that agreed uponat the beginning of the game, and each player is supposed to have his army represented by the soldiers on the spots adjacent to the players position with respect to the board. For example, one player is supposed to own all the soldiers within the triangle 9, while the other player is supposed to own all of the soldiers within the triangle 11. Also the prison 1G and the battle ships 22 belong to the player whose soldiers are on the spots 14, and the prison 15 and battle ships 23 belong to the player whose soldiers are on the spots 13.

One rule which may be followed in play ing the game is as follows :The bullet 30 is alternately used by the opposing players to knock down the opponents soldiers. Each soldier that is knocked down by a player, is taken and put in his prison. The bullet is then directed alternately by opposing players to strike the battle ships 22 and 23 respectively. If a player so strikes and spins the battle ships that their ends extend in the direction of oneof the lines 24, the player who hits and makes the battle ship closed within the board when it 7 and any desirable means extendin such position is entitled to take four of his players from his opponents prison and place them back again on his spots. This is done alternately by opposing players until one player has all of his opponents soldiers in prison, and becomes the winner of the game. While the sighting member may be used advantageously, the game may be played without this member or its equivalent, since the sighting may be done directly from the eye of the player through the medium of the board 29.

While the above is the general rule upon which my game is played, it will be under stood that the number of players may be varied if desired, both as to the number placed upon the spots 13 and 14, and also the number which may be relieved from the prisons by the spinning of the battle ships as above described.

By having the prisons 15 and 16 recessed in the manner shown, they form pockets when the board is folded to receive the battle ships as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing, so that 'it is merely necessary to remove the post 25 when it is desired to fold the board, and sufiicient room is provided within either of the recesses 15 and 16 to include the post 25, cord 29, and bullet 30, so that all of the members may be in is not in use, may be used to clamp the members in their folded position.

In Fig. 8, I have shown the elastic cord 29 extending through the post 25. In this constructiomthe post 25has a longitudinal hole 38. and a knot 39 is formed on the elastic which prevents it from accidentally pulling through the hole. 7 The upper end of the post has its edges rounded as at 40 and 41 to prevent the cutting of the elastic when it is actuated.

While I have used the word soldiers in describing the members 31, it will be understood that any shaped members may be em- 'ployed.

Each section of the board 1 is provided with a series of holes 42 within each of the triangles 9 and 11, and adjacent the outer edge thereof, and if desired the end 35 of the pin 34 on the sighting member may be placed Within any of these holes and swung by the handle 33 to secure the desired sight. However, this is merely a preference between the players, and if necessary the holes 42 may be dispensed with.

The pin 34 may be made sufficiently long so that the groove 32 will be above the heads of the soldiers 31 in order to prevent the player from striking down his own soldiers.

While I have described my invention as taking a particular form, it will be understood that the various parts of my invention spirit thereof, and hence I donot limit myself to the precise construction set forth,

but consider that I am at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A game apparatus, comprising a board having a plurality of sections marked thereon, spots marked on said sections, members designed to be placed on said spots, said spots being arranged in two groups oppositely disposed, a member elastically attached to said board and operative when the elastic attachment is stretched to be projected across the spaces having said spots thereon, substantially as described.

2. A game apparatus, comprising a board having a plurality of sections marked thereon, spots marked on said sections, members designed to be placed on said spots, said spots being arranged in two groups oppositely disposed, a member elastically attached to said board and operative when the elastic attachment is stretched to be projected across the spaces having said spots thereon, certain of the other sections having pointed members pivotally attached thereto, and so positioned as to be struck and rotated by said elastically connected member, substantially as described.

3. A game apparatus, comprising a board having a plurality of sections marked thereon, spots marked on said sections, members designed to be placed on said spots, said spots being arranged in two groups oppositely disposed, a member elastically attached to said board and operative when the elastic attachment is stretched to be projected across the spaces-having said spots thereon, certain of the other sections having pointed members pivotally attached thereto and so positioned as to be struck and {)otated by. said elastically connected memtachment to the board, and a plurality of lines marked on said board, each of said lines being included in a plane extending through the axis of one of said pivoted members and through said means, substan-. tially as described.

4. A game apparatus, comprising aboard having a plurality of sections marked theremarked on said sections, members designed to be placed on said spots, said spots being arranged in two groups oppositely disposed, a member elastically attached to said board and operative when the elastic attachment is stretched to be projected across the spaces having said spots thereon, certain of the other sections having on, spots on, spots marked on said sections,

and means for securing said elastic at-' pointed members pivotally attached thereto, and sopositioned as to be struck androtated by said elastically connected member, andother of said sections being marked to form prisons, substantially as described.

'5. A game apparatus, comprising a board having a plurality of sections markedtheremembers designed to be placed on said spots, said spots being arranged in. two groups opposltely V disposed, a member elastically attached to said board and operative when the elastic attachment is stretched to be projected across the spaces having said spots thereon, certain of the other sections having pointed members pivotally attached thereto, and so positioned as to be struck and rotated by said elastically. connected member, and other of said sections having recesses forming prisons into which the said first members may be inserted, substantially as described.

6. A game apparatus, comprising a board having a plurality of sections marked thereon, spots marked on said sections, members designed to be placed on said spots, said spots being arranged in two groups oppositely disposed, a member elastically attached to said board and operative when the elastic attachment is stretched to be projected across the Spaces having said spots thereon, certain of the other sections having pointed members pivotally attached thereto and so positioned as to be struck and rotated by said elastically connected member, and otherof said sections having recesses forming prisons into which the said first members may be inserted, said board being made in sections hinged together, said sections being so disposed'that when the sections are folded on their hinges the pivoted members will project within said recesses, substantially as described.

7 A game apparatus, comprising a board having a plurality of sections marked thereon, spots marked on said sections, members designed to be placed on said spots, said spots being arranged in, two groups oppositely disposed, a member elastically attached to said .board and operative when the elastic attachment is stretched to be projected across the spaces having said spots thereon, certain of the other sections having pointed members pivotally attached thereto, and so positioned as to be struck and rotated by said elastically connected member, a post to which the elastic attachment is secured, said post being mounted on through said post, substantially as described.

8. A game apparatus, comprising a board said board, a plurality of lines marked on I i having a plurality of sections fmarked there- 0n, spots marked onsaid sections, members ydesigned to be placed on said spots, said spots being arranged in two groups'opp sitely disposed, a member elastically atjected across the spaces having said spots thereon, and asighting member detachably 1 0 connected 'to said board and having a grooved portion, a handle, and a member desi'gned to ,e'ngage the edge of said board, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my namelto this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

' MARCUS SHARP. Witnesses: ALFRED R. FERGUSON,

CHAS. E. POTTS;

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. 0. 

